True Colors
by kuroaiko2014
Summary: Hannah and Susan manage to evade detection from the Inquisitorial Squad. Entry for Round 2 of the QLFC.


**True Colors**

Hannah Abbott skid around the corner and attempted to slam through the first door she came upon. When it didn't budge, she began firing off curse words and pleas. "Open up! Come on! Alohamora? Damnit! STUPID DOOR!" She hissed with vitriol and, surprisingly, the door popped open to allow her entrance. Hannah bolted inside. When she looked around and realized it was the Prefects' bathroom she leaned heavily against the door to listen and see if she had been followed. "'Stupid door' was the password? Who in Merlin's name decided that?" When she was satisfied that no one had been hot on her heels, she heaved a sigh of relief and took a step away from the door. Her reprieve was short-lived however, when she went sprawling as her best friend forced her way into Hannah's sanctuary to take refuge as well.

Hannah threw a halfhearted glare over her shoulder at Susan. Susan just rolled her eyes and did what Hannah had forgotten. She cast several locking and silencing charms- one way silencing charms, of course, courtesy of Hermione Granger at the third meeting of the DA, so they wouldn't be caught unawares- on the door.

"How did you get in here anyways?" Hannah huffed, still on the floor.

Susan arched an eyebrow, and responded, "_I _made Prefect. I know the password. How did _you_ get in? Wait," Susan held her finger to her lips as Hannah started to retort and growl out a complaint about sending her to the floor. Hannah's eyes widened as she heard Malfoy through the door, yelling orders to the Inquisitorial Squad as they thundered down the corridor in a herd. As the last set of stomping feet faded, Susan remarked dryly, "Looks like we are going to miss the DA meeting today." She was visibly upset over the missed training. Harry had promised today they would learn to pass messages through their Patronus Charms today, and her near miss with Malfoy had taken away her chance.

Hannah sat up and rubbed at her bruised knees. "Well, maybe Justin can give us pointers. He went early to the DA Meeting so he could ask out Ginny again. I think she broke up with Dean, or was it Seamus?" Hannah pondered for a moment then shook her head, "Either way, he went early, and Zacharias and Ernie went early as well. We should have plenty of tutors once we make it back to the common room." Hannah slid over to lean against a pile of clean fluffy towels.

Susan shrugged listlessly as she walked across the room. She hopped up to sit on the edge on the sink and leaned against the mirror. "I really wanted to learn from Harry. My Aunt Amelia had a hard time learning how to send messages via Patronus, and she's much more powerful than our year-mates. I don't think that Ernie, Justin or Zacharias, despite being relatively fast learners, will be able to teach us as well as Harry can," Susan sighed.

Susan pulled her Charms book out of her bag and flipped it open to the Patronus Charm. Her eyes flew across the page, in a very Hermione-esque fashion, as she attempted to understand the theory and wand movements behind the spell. "I can't make heads or tails of this," she groaned before leaning her head against the mirror in defeat.

Hannah stood and walked over to Susan to look at the book in fascination. "Do you not have a happy thought?" Hannah inquired.

Susan startled and nearly dropped her text. "A happy thought? Why?"

Hannah pointed to a line about two thirds of the way down the page, "It says here that a powerfully happy thought is what powers the Patronus Charm. If you can maintain a happy thought, and it's a powerful enough one, at that, you could be able to produce a fully corporeal Patronus. If it's not a powerfully happy, you can at least produce a shield that can make the Dementors bounce away." Hannah read over the wand movements and the enunciation of the spell before taking a few steps back to practice them.

Susan looked at the passage she had skipped over. "It's not that I don't have a happy thought. I _can_ produce a Patronus. I just can't for the life of me see how Harry can send a message with his. It doesn't make sense and it's not in the book." Susan, despite being a Hufflepuff, was very much Ravenclaw minded when it came to her studies.

"Well, I _can't_ produce one. I've only managed the misty shield," stated Hannah, as she walked a few feet away. She started muttering under her breath as she swished her wand around. "Expec... Expecto... Expecto Patronum!" She flicked her wand and a silvery mist, barely visible, came out of the tip of her wand. Hannah frowned as the mist dissipated. "Well, that wasn't the greatest, but at least it's something."

Susan's eyes flicked over to watch Hannah as she attempted to perform the Patronus Charm. "Do you need help?" Susan asked her.

Hannah huffed and glared at her wand. "I think I'd do better with some assistance," she sighed.

Susan slid off the sink and dragged Hannah in front of a full length mirror. "Show me the wand movements," Susan ordered.

"Yes, Mum," Hannah quipped as she went through the movements, only this time, since she was watching herself, she was able to see where she messed up in the rhythm. "Oh. One more time," Hannah muttered, going through the steps again. On the third time, she said the spell, "Expecto Patronum!" Hannah's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw the form her Patronus took.

"Um, Susan?" Hannah asked, confusion clear in her voice.

Susan snorted, "You really are a Hufflepuff, Hannah! I can't believe your Patronus," she gasped in a breath, trying to stifle the laughter trying to erupt, "is a badger!" Susan collapsed into giggles.

Hannah glared at Susan, but eventually giggled herself when her Patronus started silently berating Susan. "Well, what form does your Patronus take then, since you seem to think mine is so funny?" Hannah finally asked.

"Oh," Susan had stopped giggling, but was eyeing the badger in amusement. Hannah's Patronus disappeared as Susan pulled her wand out and said the incantation, "Expecto Patronum." A swan flew from the tip of her wand after a few moments of hesitation. "I'm still not the greatest at it, but at least she comes out now." Susan reached out to her swan, which promptly vanished. "I have to figure out how to make her stay longer."

As Hannah started to respond, an explosion was heard from two floors up. Both girls flinched and turned towards the door, wands at the ready. "I think the others are in trouble," Hannah stated.

"Well," Susan replied, "What kind of Puffs would we be if we didn't go to the aid of our friends?"

Hannah laughed, "The kind that doesn't have any fun. Let's go help our friends!"

"The Toad better watch herself," Susan growled. At that statement, the two girls threw open the doors and ran to find their friends, books and bags forgotten in the rush to render aid. The Slytherins and the Toad have _nothing_ on the Hufflepuffs when their true colors shine through in the defense of those they consider friends, or, in the case of the DA, family.**A/N This is for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 2**

**My Prompt:**

**BEATER 1: Write a Hufflepuff X Hufflepuff friendship *NO ROMANCE***

**OPTIONAL PROMPTS:**

**1\. (setting) Prefects' Bathroom**

**3\. (word) Mirror**

**Word count: 1242**


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